Editorial

Nothing to Fear. . . , Part II

by

We are living in the last days, that epochal period of earth’s history that will be marked by great unbelief. (See 11 Peter 3:3–7; Matthew 24:37–39.) Those who are truly seeking to know and to do the Lord’s will are desirous of exposing their minds only to the truth, avoiding looking at or studying error. Ellen White addresses these issues plainly in her writings: “I was shown the necessity of those who believe we are having the last message of mercy, being separate from those who are daily receiving or imbibing new error. I saw that neither young nor old should attend the assemblies of those who are in error and darkness. Said the angel, ‘Let the mind cease to dwell on things of no profit.’ ” Manuscript Releases, vol. 5, 425. In this statement, written in 1853, she was referring to those who had accepted the message of William Miller about the soon coming of Jesus and who had not accepted the Three Angels’ Messages which lead directly to an understanding of the sanctuary and the Sabbath.

“Many saw the perfect chain of truth in the angels’ messages, and gladly received them in their order, and followed Jesus by faith into the heavenly sanctuary. These messages were represented to me as an anchor to the people of God. Those who understand and receive them will be kept from being swept away by the many delusions of Satan.” Early Writings, 256.

The central truths of the Three Angels’ Messages (Revelation 14) are under attack in the Christian world and in the Adventist world today. The devil knows that those who cling to the truths as contained in these messages will be so anchored that they will not be swept away by his many delusions.

If we have the faith of Jesus, we will accept the testimony of Jesus. (Revelation 14:12; 12:17.) Ellen White not only claimed to have the gift of prophecy but she wrote that “all who believe that the Lord has spoken through Sister White, and has given her a message, will be safe from the many delusions that will come in in these last days.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 8, 320.

The Bible tests to be applied to anyone claiming to have the gift of prophecy are:

  1. They must speak according to the law and to the testimony of the Bible. (Isaiah 8:20.) The opponents of Ellen White have tried over and over to find something in the Bible that disagrees with something in her writings. Those who oppose the Three Angels’ Messages find fault with Ellen White, because she teaches these messages, including the investigative judgment.
  2. Their predictions come to pass. (Jeremiah 28:9.) Although well over 100 predictions that Ellen White made have been fulfilled already, her opponents attack statements that contain conditional prophecy. (See Jeremiah 18:7–10.) With this technique, even the Bible writers can be proved false prophets, including Isaiah and Jeremiah and especially Jonah.
  3. A prophet’s writings will produce good fruit, or results, in the lives of those who follow their teachings. (Matthew 7:15–20.) Opponents of Ellen White blame her if they find somebody who has become fanatical or mentally unbalanced.
  4. A prophet will confess the fact that Jesus came in the flesh. (1 John 4:1–3.) This is not talking simply about the fact that Jesus came in human flesh but that He came in fallen human nature, which is the technical way that the word flesh is used in the New Testament. (See 1 John 2:15–17; Romans 6–8; Galatians 5, 6.) To document Ellen White’s position on this topic, see Elder Ralph Larson’s book, The Word was Made Flesh.
  5. A prophet will have visions and dreams. (Numbers 12:6.) This must be documented from public or published evidence before you can be sure that any person who claims to be a prophet really has the prophetic gift.

Editorial – Assimilation

by

In physiology, assimilation refers to the conversion of absorbed food into the body. In other words it refers to the transforming of food into living tissue. In a mental sense it means to absorb or incorporate knowledge into the mind. In a spiritual sense it refers to the process by which the feelings, thoughts, and character of one person become the same feelings, thoughts and character of another person so that there is a spiritual resemblance or similarity. This word is often used socially to refer to a minority or immigrant group of people gradually adopting the characteristics of the dominant culture where they are residing.

“Assimilation is a law of human nature. Satan works with untiring perseverance to use this law, ordained by God to be a power for good, to forward His plans. He seeks to blend together righteous and unrighteous principles in order that through this union sin may lose its offensive appearance. He mixes chaff with the wheat.” The Upward Look, 123.

“Christ saw Satan patterning after heaven by the use of human association, thus extending the contagion of evil, and He determined to make His church a resisting element. His people are not to borrow the forms and customs of the world, but are to be instinct with the principles which make the church on earth a symbol of the church in heaven, a channel through which heaven’s rich blessings can flow.” Ibid.

“It is God’s plan that in His church heavenly influences shall be reinforced and stimulated by the cooperation of the members with Him. His people are to increase in strength and efficiency, knowing that the atmosphere which surrounds the souls of righteous believers is the same as the atmosphere in the heaven of purity and light and love.” Ibid.

“The great work of Christ’s disciples upon the earth is a daily assimilation to the character of our Saviour. … We must have the character of Christ, and then we shall better understand what heaven is like.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, 376.

“Our message to the church and to our institutions is: ‘Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’ (Matthew 3:2). The attributes of Christ’s character are to be cherished, and these are to become a power in the lives of God’s people.”  Mind, Character, and Personality, Book 2, 559.

Editorial – The Widow’s Mite

by

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over shall they give to your bosom. For with the same measure you mete, it shall be measured again to you.” Luke 6:38. This verse of Scripture explains in the simplest terms the essential difference between the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of Satan.

“The spirit of liberality is the spirit of heaven. This spirit finds its highest manifestation in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. . . . The cross of Calvary should appeal to the benevolence of every follower of the Saviour. The principle there illustrated is to give, give. . . .

“On the other hand, the spirit of selfishness is the spirit of Satan. The principle illustrated in the lives of worldlings is to get, get. Thus they hope to secure happiness and ease, but the fruit of their sowing is misery and death.” The Acts of the Apostles, 339.

The principle of Christ applies in every situation, and at Steps to Life Ministries, we have tried to implement this principle. That is why the majority of our appeals for funds are for monies to help us assist God’s work in many places throughout the earth.

Since we are a ministry and not a commercial business, even the money that we receive for our local use is directed toward finishing the Lord’s work in many places.

For example, one of our local expenses is the operation of a van. We are very thankful for this van, given to us by a friend of the ministry. We have too much mail to transport from and to the post office by automobile. We cannot pay for the expenses of the van from money allocated for various mission projects, but it is a vital expense. Without it we could not effectively receive or send materials and communications to others around the world.

Another of our local expenses is the production of radio and television programs that are aired around the world. This costs many thousands of dollars per year, and it is a miracle of God that the Holy Spirit has impressed people to contribute to the support of this outreach every year since 1987.

Something that has astonished me for a long time is that God’s work around the world is substantially supported by what could be called the “widows and the orphans.” You know the story of the widow’s mite in Luke 21. Jesus said that she had cast in more than all the rich! Ellen White describes two ways in which this statement is true in The Desire of Ages, 616. There is yet another way in which this story is true. This widow was a type of the widows and orphans of all ages—the poorer people of this world—who have the cause of God at heart and who sacrifice to make His work successful. They are the source of a large amount of the support for all of God’s work. There will be many surprises when we get to heaven, and not the least of them will be from whom the money came to support God’s work in this world.

The Lord appreciates the sacrifices of the wealthy, and we do, too, but He has a special place in His heart for those who, in spite of their poverty, practice severe self-denial to support the work. We want every person who is practicing self-denial for the success of God’s work to know that we pray for his or her financial and spiritual prosperity.

The people who have donated money to help us keep our van going back and forth to the post office and to maintain and upgrade our radio and television equipment will, in heaven, see where the Three Angels’ Messages went as a result of their gifts. They will be greeted by people that they never knew in this world who will say, “It was you who invited me here.”

Editorial – The Imprimatur

by

It is easy to distinguish between authorized and unauthorized Catholic literature, because no book can be printed by Catholic printers or sold by Catholic booksellers or read by Catholic members—if they are obedient to their faith—unless that book or published statement has the imprimatur of a bishop or archbishop or a cardinal. Imprimatur is Latin for “let it be printed.” An official Catholic dictionary says that “no book treating on religion can be published until it has been examined by a bishop’s orders and has received his imprimatur.” Books not having this approval are forbidden books. This teaching has kept unnumbered Catholics from ever investigating their faith from the Bible. Incidentally, the Council of Valence placed the Bible on the list of forbidden books in 1229!

Protestants tend to think that they are liberated and free from such Catholic thinking and bondage, but they are not as different from Catholics as they might like to think. A friend of ours was recently discouraged from distributing an evangelistic book, which teaches the Three Angels’ Messages, by the conference church he was attending and the local conference president. One reason given for this opposition was that an official Seventh-day Adventist publishing association had not published the book! This premise was one of the reasons why both John the Baptist and Jesus were rejected. (See The Desire of Ages, 133, 737.)

LandMarks magazine is read by people who are part of the Second Advent Movement. Many are not part of any Seventh-day Adventist Conference but are members of home churches and lay churches around the world. This magazine exists to help them spread the Three Angels’ Messages to the world and to meet the fanaticism and apostasy that is prevalent all over the world today.

Partly because of their fear of reading something not exactly true, many historic Adventists have their own informal imprimatur. Their lists of forbidden books include certain so-called “Catholic versions” of the Bible (which interestingly are actually Protestant versions), the 1911 edition and, for some, even the 1888 edition of The Great Controversy! The list of forbidden literature includes any article written by a person who is not of the same persuasion as themselves—whether it has to do with the feast days or the name of God or the various doctrines of the godhead or doctrines of the church or any other point of theology. For this reason, people call and write Steps to Life when we publish articles by various individuals, telling us about the authors’ false theological ideas.

This editorial gives official notice that we have decided not to participate in the listing of forbidden authors. In selecting material for this magazine, our question is simple: “Does this sermon or article state the truth according to the Bible and the writings of Ellen G. White?” If it does, we will publish it, and no one needs to be alarmed if the author holds views on subjects that we believe are error. Our official disclaimer to this effect is stated in the facts of publication of this magazine.

“The Lord often works where we least expect him; he surprises us by revealing his power through instruments of his own choice, while he passes by the men to whom we have looked as those through whom light should come. God desires us to receive the truth upon its own merits,—because it is truth.” Gospel Workers (1892), 126.

“When a view of Scripture is presented, many do not ask, Is it true—in harmony with God’s word? but, By whom is it advocated? and unless it comes through the very channel that pleases them, they do not accept it. So thoroughly satisfied are they with their own ideas that they will not examine the Scripture evidence with a desire to learn, but refuse to be interested, merely because of their prejudices.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 105, 106.

Editorial – The Meaning of Prophetic Endorsements

by

The message of William Miller concerning 1843 (the error in the date was later corrected to 1844) was, we believe, the truth of God and was the message He wanted His people to receive. However, this message was eventually rejected by almost the whole religious world of that time, including all of the mainline churches. It was opposed as an erroneous, date-setting message. We still believe in the date 1844 just as much as Miller did. We are certain that the interpretation of Daniel 7, 8, 9, and 12, with the dates of 27 a.d., 31 a.d., 457 b.c., 538 b.c., 538 a.d., 508 a.d., 1798 a.d., and 1844 a.d. is just as true as when he published the 1843 chart.

William Miller has been attacked on several fronts by our theological opponents, past and present, who believe that the historic Adventist theology, which we hold dear, can be destroyed by, first of all, destroying the credibility of William Miller. One of the two issues in the attack on Miller will be briefly discussed in this editorial.

It is thought by many, including former Seventh-day Adventist ministries, that since Ellen White endorsed Miller, if Miller’s exegesis or methodology of Scripture study can be proved wrong, then Ellen White is a false prophet for endorsing him and historic Adventism is no longer credible. As explained in the first paragraph, we still believe the principle thrust of the 1843 chart, though not espousing all data or explanations. Ellen White and our pioneers acknowledged some mistakes in the 1843 chart, too, and yet Ellen White endorsed it and said that it was of God. This is very perplexing to some “black and white” thinkers, including some who used to be Seventh-day Adventist ministers.

So what does a prophetic endorsement mean? We go to the Scriptures to find the highest possible prophetic endorsement for the Christian—that of Jesus Christ Himself. In Matthew 11, Jesus said, concerning John the Baptist, that (1) He endorsed the ministry of John the Baptist; (2) He called him a prophet; (3) he was even more than a prophet; and (4) among those who were born of women there had not arisen one greater than him. It would seem impossible for a human being to obtain a higher endorsement than this or an endorsement based on a higher authority. Was the theology of John the Baptist without any major mistakes or flaws? No, we know that he was mixed up on some major issues, such as his understanding of the work of the Messiah—which caused him to doubt whether Jesus was the Messiah. Without doubt, there were people who rejected Jesus as being the Messiah as a result of their views about John the Baptist. (See Matthew 21.)

We see, in the instance of John the Baptist, that a prophetic or a divine endorsement does not mean that the person endorsed could not have a misunderstanding of prophecy or of some Scriptures. This would be true not only of William Miller but even of John the Baptist! In both cases their work was divinely endorsed, and they were led of God to proclaim the messages they proclaimed—one concerning preparation for the first advent and the other concerning preparation for the second advent. We see, then, that the same methodology by which William Miller was discredited would also, in the hands of a skillful debater, discredit major figures in God’s work in Bible times.

Objectors counter that William Miller used a faulty methodology in Bible study. We will look at that next.

“It is never best for one to think that he understands every phase of truth, for he does not. Then let no man flatter himself that he has a correct understanding of all portions of Scripture and feel it his duty to make everybody else understand them just as he does.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 533, 534.

Editorial – 1843, Part I

by

In this column last month, the attack by former Seventh-day Adventist ministers on the 1843 (later corrected to 1844) message of William Miller was introduced. We there briefly discussed the meaning of prophetic endorsement. Since Ellen White endorsed William Miller and his message, these attackers think if Miller’s exegesis or methodology of Scripture study can be proved wrong, then Ellen White is a false prophet for endorsing him and historic Adventism is no longer credible. It will take several months to address these unfounded attacks.

We are living in a time of the greatest religious confusion and delusion. Our theological opponents have believed that they can overthrow our faith by pointing out certain mistakes in the thinking of William Miller or other early Adventist pioneers. The fact that many mistakes were made by the pioneers is not anything of which to be ashamed. In the First Century, the pioneers of the first advent were more badly mistaken about some bigger issues than were the pioneers of the second advent movement. For example, John the Baptist and the apostles did not understand the nature of the kingdom to be set up, and worse than this, they did not even understand that the kingdom could only be established by the death of the Messiah! They did not understand the Old Testament prophecies about either the resurrection or the ascension! Yet the movement was inspired of the Holy Spirit and led by God! Ellen White describes the inspiration of these people who were deluded concerning some of the most major events of the Great Controversy in The Desire of Ages, 578, 579.

In the same way, the second advent movement was and is a movement inspired by God and led by the Holy Spirit, even though the pioneers made mistakes in their understanding of some Scriptures. If your faith in the historical fulfillment of prophecy can be destroyed because someone made mistakes in their understanding of some Bible texts, then it is absolutely for certain that you will not be among those who “endure to the end.” Matthew 24:13.

We must today study the prophecies like never before. The prophecies of Daniel and Revelation are being fulfilled right in front of our eyes. Soon the world is going to be faced with the most overwhelming surprise of all time. While people are waiting for what they believe is yet to be fulfilled in the future, prophecy will be fulfilled in a way they did not expect, and the world will come to an end.

“Prophecy is fast fulfilling. More, much more, should be said about these tremendously important subjects. The day is at hand when the destiny of every soul will be fixed forever. This day of the Lord hastens on apace. The false watchmen are raising the cry, ‘All is well’; but the day of God is rapidly approaching. Its footsteps are so muffled that it does not arouse the world from the deathlike slumber into which it has fallen. . . . It overtakes the pleasure-lover and the sinful man as a thief in the night. When all is apparently secure, and men retire to contented rest, then the prowling, stealthy, midnight thief steals upon his prey. When it is too late to prevent the evil, it is discovered that some door or window was not secured. ‘Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ . . . Let no one feel that he is secure from the danger of being surprised. Let no one’s interpretation of prophecy rob you of the conviction of the knowledge of events which show that this great event is near at hand.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 335, 336.

Editorial – 1843, Part II

by

The 1843 (eventually corrected to 1844) date of William Miller’s message was derived from the study of prophecy, especially the prophecy in Daniel 8:13, 14. The critics of Adventism have taken advantage of the average person’s lack of knowledge about several terms to introduce confusion, instead of understanding, concerning the fulfillment of this prophecy. We will look at several basic points: 1) Who and what is the little horn in Daniel 8? 2) Daniel 8:12 and 13 speak of two separate rebellions, first the continuance in rebellion and second the desolating or depopulating rebellion. These rebellions are sometimes called “transgression(s),” but a look into any Hebrew lexicon, or just a casual reading of the Hebrew Bible, easily shows that the common word used refers to a deliberate or willful transgression or more accurately a revolt or rebellion. I have found only a few places in the entire Hebrew Bible where the word could not be more helpfully translated “rebellion.” What are these two separate rebellions of Daniel 8:12 and 13? 3) It would seem almost embarrassing to have to mention this elementary fact but, because of the tricky reasoning of our opponents, we will. This is a time prophecy. 4) This is a time prophecy having to do with end-time events, because the angel said to Daniel, in regard to the 2300 days, that the vision dealt with the time of the end. This is an important enough point that it is mentioned twice (verses 17 and 19).

We will begin with point #4. This point by itself makes it completely impossible for this vision to have anything to do with Antiochus Epiphanes iv. Antiochus was one of approximately 20 Seleucid kings who ruled the northern territory of Alexander the Great’s empire, called in Daniel 11 “the king of the north.” None of these kings were as great as Alexander the Great. (See Daniel 11:4.) A minor king of a division of Alexander’s kingdom who lived in the second century b.c. could not be described as fulfilling a prophecy clearly stated as having to do with the time of the end.

Next we come to point #3. Every imaginable device has been attempted in an effort to demonstrate a 2300-day period during the time of Antiochus Epiphanes. Any fulfillment of this time prophecy would have to involve a time period of 2300 days. There has been an effort to say that, since the wording in Daniel 8:14 is “evening and morning,” it refers to 1150 days. This interpretation will not stand up to any candid investigation of the Scriptures. (See Genesis 1.) (The literal wording of Daniel 8:14 in the Hebrew text is “and he said to me unto evening, morning, two thousand and three hundred and [or ‘the’] it shall be cleansed [or ‘restored to its rightful state’ or ‘made right’] the sanctuary [or ‘holy place’].) No period of 2300 days can be shown for Antiochus Epiphanes. Any real fulfillment of this prophecy must demonstrate a beginning event and a closing event which are separated by 2300 days. This fact destroys the possibility of Antiochus having anything to do with the fulfillment of this prophecy a second time.

Then we come to point #2. Daniel 8:13, 14 are not the only places in the Book of Daniel where these two rebellions are mentioned. Any interpretation of these two rebellions in Daniel 8:13, 14 must also fit contextually with their identity and historical position when also described in Daniel 11:31 and Daniel 12:11. Daniel 11:31 shows us that a future power will cause the continuance in rebellion to be removed and then the desolating rebellion will be set up in its place. This is an extremely important point, because it shows that these two rebellions are consecutive events, the one following the other.

Editorial – When the Future Becomes the Present

by

The Jews expected the coming of the Messiah for over 1,000 years. They looked forward to it, preached about it, and taught about it in their synagogues and in their special weekly, monthly, and yearly worship services. Yet, when it happened and Jesus came, they rejected Him!

The same thing will happen in the second advent movement as happened when Jesus came the first time. We are looking forward to the latter rain and the loud cry, which will finish the work of God in the world. We are looking forward to the sealing of God’s people and the finishing of the Three Angels’ Messages throughout the world. Yet, when it happens, we know from Bible prophecy that the majority of Seventh-day Adventists will reject the very thing they have been anticipating.

Where will you be, and what side will you take when what we have looked for so long is no longer in the future but rather in the present? We hope that these Week of Prayer messages will be helpful to you and your family as you prepare for the future that will take most of the world by surprise.

“I also saw that many do not realize what they must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord without a high priest in the sanctuary through the time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully.

“I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of ‘refreshing’ and the ‘latter rain’ to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God. Those who refuse to be hewed by the prophets and fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth, and who are willing to believe that their condition is far better than it really is, will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. But there will be no time then to do it and no Mediator to plead their cause before the Father. . . . I saw that none could share the ‘refreshing’ unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action. We should, therefore, be drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary to enable us to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. Let all remember that God is holy and that none but holy beings can ever dwell in His presence.” Early Writings, 71.

Friend, will you be part of the latter rain? Will you receive it, or will you oppose it? Go to your closet and ask the Lord to give you a totally converted heart so you are ready for the future and the door of mercy and probation is not shut with you on the outside.

“The time of God’s destructive judgments is the time of mercy for those who have no opportunity to learn what is truth. Tenderly will the Lord look upon them. His heart of mercy is touched; His hand is still stretched out to save, while the door is closed to those who would not enter. Large numbers will be admitted who in these last days hear the truth for the first time.” Review and Herald, July 5, 1906.

Editorial – 1843, Pt. III

by

In the September 2004 issue, four points were presented regarding the interpretation of prophecy given in Daniel 8:13, 14:

  1. Who and what is the little horn in Daniel 8?
  2. Daniel 8:12, 13 speak of two separate rebellions, first the continuance in rebellion and second the desolating or depopulating rebellion.
  3. This is a time prophecy.
  4. This is a time prophecy having to do with end-time events, because the angel said to Daniel, in regard to the 2300 days, that the vision dealt with the time of the end.

Discussion was given on points 4 and 3 and started on point 2. We continue with point #2.

In Daniel 12:11, we see that after the continuance in rebellion is removed and the desolating rebellion is set up in its place, another time period of 1290 days will follow. Any interpretation of the two rebellions in Daniel 8:13, 14 must, in addition to explaining a 2300-day interval between a beginning and a closing event, also be able to explain a 1290-day interval between the time that the continuance in rebellion is removed and the desolating rebellion is set up. When we look at the context of this time prophecy in Daniel 12:4–13, we see that this time prophecy extends until the time of the end. (See especially Daniel 12:4, 6–9, 13.) Thus, for a third time, we see facts from the Scriptures that make it completely impossible for the prophecy to refer to Antiochus Epiphanes in the second century b.c. Incidentally, the services in the Jewish sanctuary could never be truly called the “continuance in rebellion,” which is the way the “daily” is described in Daniel 8:12.

Finally, we will look at point #1. Who is the little horn in Daniel 8? Our critics have proclaimed that this little horn is Antiochus Epiphanes, one of about 20 kings of a division of Alexander’s empire in the second century b.c. We will give the characteristics of this little horn from the book of Daniel and let our readers decide if Antiochus Epiphanes fits any of these or not. This little horn is not only greater than the Medo-Persian empire but it is even greater than Alexander the Great! Notice Daniel 8:4, which says literally that the ram (Medo-Persia) was great (or magnified himself), and then Daniel 8:5–8, which shows that the goat (the empire of Alexander the Great) became exceeding great. This is talking about a worldwide power—“the whole earth.” Verse 5. In describing the little horn, the prophet said that it became great beyond measure. (Verse 9.) But this is just the beginning. This little horn power (2) was victorious against some of the army of heaven and cast some of them to the ground. (3) It fought against the commander of the army of heaven. (Verse 11.) (4) It was the power responsible for removing the continuance in rebellion and setting up the desolating rebellion in its place. (Verses 11, 12.) (5) He will destroy many while they are at ease. (Verse 25.) (6) He will be broken or shattered or destroyed without hand, that is without human agency. (Verse 25.)

Was Antiochus Epiphanes destroyed without human hand, that is without human agency, or in other words, by divine intervention? The historical record simply states that he died while on an expedition against the Parthians in 164 b.c.

However, if we look at the Roman power, it fits every single specification of the prophecy.

  1. It was greater than Alexander the Great and the empire he set up.
  2. It was victorious against some of the army of heaven. (God’s people are described as His army. See Exodus 12:41.)
  3. It fought against the Commander of the army of heaven—it was the Roman power, for example, who crucified Jesus.
  4. The Roman power was responsible later for removing the continuance in rebellion and setting up the desolating rebellion.
  5. The Roman power has not yet come to its end, but according to Bible prophecy, it will come to its end by divine intervention and not by any human hand.

Editorial – Counsel from the True Witness

by

God will save the vilest and the most degraded sinner, if that person will listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. (See The Desire of Ages, 258.) The following letter from Ellen White to a Seventh-day Adventist denominational leader, written in 1888, is proof of the earnestness with which God tries to arouse and save those who are in sin. But as we will see, in future editorials containing later parts of the same letter, God cannot save us in our sins. He can only save us if we are willing to repent, confess, and forsake our sins.

“I have had much burden of soul in your behalf, but at the same time strong confidence in God that He would on this occasion lead you to see your mistakes and errors. I so much desire that you, for your own sake and for Christ’s sake, should so humble your heart by confessing your sins, that the burden shall be lifted from your soul . . . .

“I am made sad to see my brethren cherishing doubts and talking doubts in regard to the light God has been pleased to give them. We shall all have to wrestle with doubts, for this is a constitutional tendency with not a few, while others believe on the simple evidence that God has been pleased to give them. But doubt is the atmosphere which surrounds many souls at the present time. . . .

“I feel so grateful to God that it is not too late for wrongs to be righted. I ask you, my brother, will you consider the value of your soul? Shall Jesus Christ have died for you in vain? . . . My heart is sore and sad, because you have not heeded the light you have had. . . .

“Why, oh, why, have you disregarded the voice of warning and reproof? Why did you not receive the light, and render to the Master earnest, sincere service? Had you been meek and lowly of heart, you could have reflected pure, steady beams of light upon the pathway of others. Those who receive the light that God graciously gives them, with a heart to obey, evidence a more than common sensibility. . . .

“God’s people must be suspicious of their lower nature. They must war against fleshly lusts. The evil heart of unbelief is constantly at war with the purposes of God, tempting souls away from the side of Christ into forbidden paths. Unjust, cruel prejudice and cavils arise against the agencies God has seen fit to employ to reprove and correct the erring. This unbelief hinders those that are corrected from receiving the light that is given them, and therefore they do not submit to God, but work at cross purposes against God’s will.

“Objections are listened to, received, and this leads to the arising of still more difficulties and the forgetting of the inherent evidence which comes with the message from God. Therefore we do not receive the support and divine grace which God is ready to impart. The light is refused and darkness and unbelief accepted, and as the result he will bring forth fruit of that which is in his heart, which is evil fruit . . . . [Mark 7:21, 22 quoted.]” Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, 157, 158.

Questions we should ask ourselves concerning this letter:

  1. Since it is not too late for wrongs to be righted, am I getting all wrongs in my life righted before it becomes too late?
  2. Am I humble enough to accept warning and reproof in whatever way God sends it?
  3. Am I suspicious of my lower nature?
  4. Am I warring against fleshly lusts?
  5. Am I listening to objections and not listening to the weight of evidence and thereby not receiving the support and divine grace which God is ready to give to me?